Dream a Little Dream of Me
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Daniel and Vala are experiencing unusual dreams that lead to a life threatening illness for both of them. With the teams help, Dr. Lam figures it out. But the fallout creates havac for the team and angst for both of them. Warning – ends in fluff.


Title: Dream a Little Dream of Me

Author: Spacegypsy1

Rating: mature  
Category: Romance/General  
Season: anytime after Avalon and The Ties That Bind  
Featured Character(s): Daniel, Vala, Sam, Teal'c, Mitchell**  
**Pairings: Daniel and Vala

Warnings: Sexual innuendo. Possible Avalon or Ties That Bind spoilers.

_A soft glow of ethereal light shimmered across Vala's short satin nightie as she crossed the kitchen toward the lone figure. Sitting in the darkness of the corner, Daniel Jackson watched her. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he watched her._

_Had SHE tied him to that chair?_

_The more she moved toward him the further he seemed to recede into the darkness._

_Was he naked?_

_The light began to fade, closing in on her._

"_Daniel?" she called out. Was it really him?_

"_I'm here Vala."_

_Finally, she was getting closer, but the darkness was closing in._

"_Daniel?"_

_The light around her faded completely, now only a yielding dimness surrounded him._

_Oh, my. _

_Darkness suddenly engulfed them both._

Like a klaxon, a loud gasp shattered the silence. Sitting straight up in the bed, her panicked heart racing she tried to look around for the intruder.

_Oh my god, I'm blind!_

A vague thought brought her hands to her eye mask, and she ripped it off, tossing it across the room. Darkness persisted.

Struggling to get out of the bed, Vala got tangled in the covers. She kicked wildly as she reached for the bedside lamp. The light appeared in the same instant the lamp seemed to leap off the table and collide with the floor.

Her arms waved wildly in the new darkness as she tried in vain to orient herself and reach for the lamp.

Thud! She hit the floor sending the bedside table crashing over and the lamp skidding across the room to smash into something else with a loud whack.

Someone was banging on the door. "Ms. Mal Doran?"

The door banging matched the thunder of her heart beat.

"Ms. Mal Doran, are you alright?"

Untangling her covers, Vala found her way across her quarters and snapped the light on.

The banging seemed to be escalating as the blinding light cleared the darkness.

Blinking against the blaring overhead light Vala calmly opened the door, peering innocently at the airman. She ran a hand down her satin nightie to smooth out any possible wrinkles, tossed her tangled mass of hair from her eyes and with a calming sigh responded, "I'm fine, why do ask?"

---

Daniel, unsure of what woke him at two in the morning, switched the light on and looked around his bedroom. It always took him a moment or two to acclimate himself to his own surroundings whenever he stayed at home. Home. His quarters at the SGC seemed more like home then this.

Still wondering what disturbed his much needed sleep, he decided to take a turn around his apartment - just in case.

All clear. Daniel stretched, scratched his bare belly, yawned and decided to return to bed.

He got a glass of water from the kitchen and brought it back into the bedroom. Sitting on the side of the bed the dream began to creep back into his conscious mind. The glass of water, a mere inch from his lips, stopped. He set it back on the bedside table.

Dropping his head, nearly chin to chest, he gritted his teeth, rubbed his eyes, ran his fingers through his hair. All in vain, the images of the dream were playing across his mind like an old time movie projector.

_Vala was behind him, her arms around his waist, skin to skin. He could feel her smile against his bare shoulder where her head rested. He was comfortable, contented, happy. _

Happy, that's what woke him up…as if Vala Mal Doran could make him happy. Ha! He drank his water, climbed under the covers and as he fell into a deep sleep a contented smile softened his features.

-------------------------------------

"Ms. Mal Doran," Hank Landry began, frustration edging its way in as he spoke, "need I remind you – AGAIN – that as a member of SGC, you are required to be on time for all briefings, meetings and debriefings? As well as anything else I may invite you to."

Vala lifted her head up from its resting place on the conference table. Her arms, which had been dangling at her sides, she tossed on the table for support. The dark circles under her eyes accentuated their sleep deprived dullness.

Vala answered, "Sorry Sir," her tired voice nearly inaudible in the quiet room.

Daniel and Sam exchanged worried looks.

"You ok, Vala?" Cam Mitchell asked.

General Landry took a barely perceptible step back. He knew he'd lost control of this briefing, if only momentarily, while his elite team ministered to one of their own. He wasn't the least bit concerned, it was what they did and how they did it and it made them who they were.. the best of the best.

The shuffle of papers awoke her and Vala sat up. The last thing she remembered was telling Mitchell that she hadn't slept well last night. No big deal.

Obviously she'd sleep through the rest of the briefing and had no idea where, when, how or why they were going, if they were going somewhere.

Following his dismissal of the team, General Landry looked at Mitchell and crooked his head toward Vala. There was a message in there somewhere but her dulled senses didn't get it.

Vala's sleepy eyes shifted to Mitchell. "We need to talk," he told her.

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were already leaving the room when Vala finally got the strength to stand and gather her report. For only an instant her eyes connected with Daniel's, but it was enough to see he was concerned

_Why did at least one of them always do that_? Admittedly, she was getting used to and, becoming a part of this whole team thing. But she couldn't sneeze without one of them taking up that damned mother hen stance! Ok, so it keeps you feeling safe and respected and well, maybe liked and needed, but she was Vala Mal Doran, didn't they know by now she didn't need all that?

Alone in the conference room with her CO and talking fast she tried to convinced Mitchell that she was okay, just a little tired.

He wasn't having any of it. "Vala," he stated with that Mitchell 'I'm in charge' tone to his voice, "I'm taking you to see Dr. Lam. Now."

Her mouth opened to protest, but his look stopped her. She conceded that she was on her way to 'counsel' with the good doctor. What the hell was she going to say?… that she was having erotic dreams involving one of her team members?

But it was dreams that not only woke her up, but kept her up. That, she decided, was all she was willing to tell the good doctor.

Ok, so sometimes, when she just glanced at Daniel a particularly spectacular dream would come to mind. She'd learned to control the urge to conjure up the latest addition to her dreaming sequence during the day. However, she wasn't able to get much sleep at night due to her constant and sometimes wildly erotic dreams. And that, she mused, was the real problem. Not to be discussed with the doctor.

---

Vala liked Dr. Lam, even while hating the obligatory exams that seemed to be endless here at the SGC.

Mitchell stood behind where Vala sat on the exam table. He made Vala nervous, and from the looks Carolyn Lam kept sending his way, he made her nervous as well.

"Mitchell!" both Carolyn and Vala snapped at him in unison.

He jumped. "What?!"

"Colonel Mitchell, I will report to you and General Landry when I have something to report. No need in standing around waiting." Carolyn had placed her stethoscope back around her neck, slammed her pen light in her pocket and took her best 'get the hell out of my exam room' stance.

Vala turned her head and gave him her best wide toothy grin, tilted head and all.

He stood quietly, arms crossed and said nothing for the longest time. Anyone who knew him could see he was weighing his options. At last he unfolded his arms and simply nodded to the doctor and left.

Both Vala and Carolyn sighed in relief.

It didn't take Carolyn long to determined that Vala had sleep depravation. Not too serious at this point, but she needed to keep an eye on her. After prescribing a mild sleeping pill and scheduling a check up she released the patient.

Carolyn stood at the door and watched Vala leave wondering if there could somehow be a connection between Dr. Jackson's visit yesterday for the same problem and Vala's visit today. Maybe she should look over the recent mission logs to see if anything popped up.

---

It had been just over a week since Carolyn Lam had report to General Landry and Colonel Mitchell that Vala's tiredness was due to a few rough nights and that without more cooperation from her patient, there really wasn't much else she could do, except observer her.

Since Daniel had come to her on his own she hadn't felt the need to discuss his visit and nothing had turned up on the mission reports.

Both patients had reported sleeping well since then, without using medication prescribed and both had checked out quite healthy on the follow up exam.

Well, coincidences happen.

Carolyn finished entering her release report and shutting down the lap top when Mitchell poked his head in the door.

"Dinner?"

Carolyn looked at her watch, "Breakfast?"

Mitchell checked his watch. "Oh. Well, breakfast then?"

---

_Her softness snuggled spoon style against him. His hand, resting on her hip, began to trace her smooth skin from waist to thigh._

_She stirred, murmuring and turning into his embrace, settling a leg over his bare hip Vala kissed his neck and mumbled, "sleepy, too tired for dreaming."_

"_humm," Daniel nuzzled her hair, "me too."_

Daniel flipped on the light grabbing one of those little pills as he sat up in bed, feet flat on the floor, and swallowed it dry.

Damn, he'd been Vala dream free of over a week. He'd slept really well, hadn't even needed Lam's little pills.

He rubbed his tired eyes to clear his head, then made himself get back under the covers. They had a mission coming up, he needed his rest. Wondering if he should just take another pill he tossed and turned a few times then drifted into dreamless sleep.

---

Walking down the ramp behind Daniel, Vala was vaguely aware of the kawoosh and clank of the gate shutting down behind her. Her attention was on Daniel's nicely shaped rear end as he walked in front of her.

She almost bumped into Mitchell as he turned.

He took a step back, "I'm off to see the general, Teal'c will you see that Carter makes it to the infirmary?"

"I'll be fine Cam." Sam looked down at the gash through the tear in her pants.

"I know, but that gash looks pretty mean, you can lean on Teal'c."

"Indeed, ColonelCarter" Teal'c slightly tipped his head in her direction.

"I'm off to the showers, I'll check in on you in a minute or two Sam." Daniel said as he headed for the locker room.

Vala smiled to herself and followed Daniel.

_Daniel was rinsing suds from his hair by the time Vala joined him in the shower._

"_This doesn't seem like a dream," she said as he pulled her into his embrace_

"_No, it doesn't," Daniel managed to say before leaning into the kiss._

Vala woke up to some obnoxious ringing noise. One eye peeked out from under her sleep mask. The obnoxious noise continued. She pushed the mask up on her forehead and turned to the phone on the table beside her. With a deep sign of resignation she picked it up to answer.

She entered the conference room at full run, her uniform not quite in order. She stopped suddenly and stared at the empty room.

"Oh my god, I've managed to miss the whole thing!" she blurted out.

How long had it been since Mitchell called her?

"Vala?"

She spun around.

Harriman looked at her curiously, "are you looking for someone?"

"The debriefing?"

"Ah, you mean the mission briefing? It isn't until tomorrow, 0900 hours."

"No debriefing today?"

"No ma'am, we only debrief after missions."

"and none today?" She said with a silly grin as though she were only kidding.

"No, ma'am, non today,"

Still grinning she ventured, "And no briefings or debriefings yesterday? P_lease tell me yes. I need a yes._

"No ma'am."

Returning to her quarters Vala knew something was wrong. It had been a dream, hadn't it? Was it all a dream? She woke up thinking the mission had been real, the shower the dream.

She was tempted to talk with Daniel, but knew he'd be too hard to deal with once she started explaining the nature of the dreams. Maybe she'd talk to Dr. Lam sometime soon.

---

"Vala, you've been a great help and I appreciate it." Sam started closing down her lap top.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," Vala assured her teammate, rubbing her hands together.

"Well, it's past midnight and we have a busy day tomorrow."

Vala wandered around Sam's lab while she waited for Sam to finish.

"Are you okay, Vala?" Sam asked.

There it was again, that mothering thing. "Fine."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, good night."

"Good night. Ah, Sam? How about a midnight snack? Jell-O? Cake?"

"No thanks, I'm really tired."

"Me too, couldn't eat a thing really. Good night."

Vala followed Sam down the dimly lit hall, all the while humming the tune for Dream a Little Dream of Me.

Sam smiled, "that's a catchy tune."

"Um, yes, something by your Mother's and Father's"

Sam nodded, trying to keep from laughing, "The Momma's and Papa's?"

"Um, that's what I said."

Sam couldn't think of a reply. At the elevator she swiped her card, "good night, Vala."

"Good night"

Vala secured her sleep mask and snuggled deep into her blanket, all was quiet. No phones, alarms or Daniel in her bed. No dreams tonight, she'd taken Dr. Lam's pill. She was so sleepy. So relaxed.

_Daniel was holding Sha're._

Vala moaned and turned from her back to her stomach.

_Daniel kissed his way down Vala's back. _Much Better. _He thought it felt delicious, his lips on her spine. She could feel his enjoyment._

What!? Why was she feeling his enjoyment? She sat up, and didn't care if the damned mask was still in place. She didn't need to see! He thought it felt delicious? He was in her dream! Without a hitch she found the lamp switch and turned it on. Vala pushed the mask up to her forehead, her hair sticking out of the top making her look as surprised as she felt. Daniel was in her dream. No, Daniel had dreamed her dream… or she hadn't been dreaming at all, it was his dream. Was Daniel dreaming in HER head?

Vala jumped from the bed and without bothering to find slippers or a robe she snatched her door open and pranced down the corridor towards Daniel's quarters.

Arms swinging and hips swaying she muttered under her breath the entire way. Several airmen nodded at her as she passed them and the occasional guard ignored her. Ha! Obviously this was part of the dream too. She was wearing her new sleep shorts and tank top and knew she looked absolutely adorable.

When she reached his door she took a deep calming breath, no need to bring the house down. She would knock gently as though she were coming for afternoon tea… Ha! Not likely! The man was in HER head!

A few taps on his door got no response.

Vala really, really wanted to be patient. No one needed to get into trouble, they had a mission to do soon, keep things normal she advised herself. She tapped again.

Looking around, she noted the corridor was empty. With a fist she pounded on the door and when that got no response she screamed at the top of her very loud vocal range,

"D A N I E L!!!!!!, D A N I E L, you open this ….."

The door flew open so fast it astonished her, but no more than when he quickly grasped her arm and snatched her in the room.

The door slammed shut, "Quiet," he hissed, "do you want to wake up the entire base?"

Lips sealed in a menacing smirk and eyes narrowed she looked him up and down. He wore pj bottoms and an old tee shirt, his hair was a wreck. Good. "You were in my dream. MY dream, and you knew it!"

"No, YOU were in my dream and YOU knew it," he replied calmly and oh so self assured.

That stopped her momentarily.

Then Vala glared at him, "No! I was in my own room, sleeping in my own bed and you came along and, and…and,"

"Vala, stop. Here," he said taking her by the shoulders and guiding her to sit on the bed. "Ok, something is obviously going on."

She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, the mask still had her hair all wacky, "Really, I have no idea what you are talking about." She turned away from him when he sat beside her.

"I think we're going to have to consult Dr. Lam about this."

She rolled her eyes and sighed impatiently. Then it struck her, he was having her dreams… She turned back to him then, "You've been having these dreams too?

He nodded.

"Well, why didn't you say something!"

"Well, why didn't you?" he responded.

"Oh, Please! Daniel you would have swooned in mortification if I had tried to discuss what kind of dreams…" Vala sat up straighter, "Daniel, surely we weren't having the same dream?"

"Kitchen chair?" Daniel was grateful that the room wasn't well lit, maybe she couldn't see the blush he felt across his cheeks. He wasn't really sure whose dream that had been.

"Oh." She sounded intrigued.

"The shower?" He barely mumbled.

"Oh, that one was particularly wonderful; I'd like that one again, please."

"Vala."

"Well it was."

"Something serious is going on here"

"Daniel, maybe we're just meant to be together and we're denying it, well, you're denying it and I'm suffering for it."

"Do you want to be manipulated by some alien entity, virus or whatever?

"I've done that one, this is different." She pouted.

But Daniel could see she was finally realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Think about it, we've had the bracelets,"

"Sorry about that."

"The transportation-communication devices."

"Hated that," Vala shivered with the bad memory.

"There could still be something that is keeping us connected."

""Maybe, or maybe it's a combination, maybe we want to be connected and that's triggering something else."

He sighed in exasperation, dropping his head.

"Well, it could be."

Daniel stood and offered a hand to Vala, she took it and stood. They faced each other, standing close and Vala drifted toward him.

She was disappointed that he took a step back. He gently tried to make some sense of her hair and pulled strands free of the mask. Then he ran his palm down the length of her face to her neck and kissed her forehead.

He could be such an ass.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow with Dr. Lam, after the briefing. Take one of those sleeping pills tonight and get some sleep." Daniel's hand was at the small of her back, leading her to the door.

"I did that, it didn't help."

"Take two, they're very mild."

"Ok, but stay out of my dreams."

"If only I could." Daniel signed in resignation.

---

Vala Mal Doran reported to the mission briefing fifteen minutes early. The General's staff prepared coffee, laid out mission briefing information, and readied equipment. Vala sat in her chair, back straight, as though at attention, hands folded in front of her, smiling idiotically to hide her nervousness. The dream she had after she left Daniel had been spectacularly erotic and she wasn't even sure whose dream it was. It would be nice if it was his, _'but really, Vala', _she told herself_, 'that was a bit more your style._' She couldn't really imagine Daniel Jackson …..

Mitchell and Landry entered the room from General Landry's office and stopped in their tracks, conversation bluntly ending when they saw her.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about, Vala!" Mitchell patted her on the back.

"Yes Sir!" she answered, enthusiastically.

Teal'c and Sam arrived shortly, taking their seats. They all chatted companionably about the new base personnel and recent promotions. Vala watched the clock, three minutes to go and no Daniel. More conversation ensued. Vala managed to keep up. Where was he?

Daniel rushed up the stairs, papers flying behind him, and darted into the room at the last second. "Sorry, sir," he told the general. Taking his seat, he pushed his glasses up his nose, and looked at Vala and blushed. She responded with a quick, quirky smile. _Yes, he'd had the same dream._

Throughout the briefing, Vala took notes, responded to questions and interjected comments all the while feeling as though something was wrong.

Her heart began to pound rather erratically, and Daniel's head popped up from his study of the paper before him. He stared at her as if he could hear her heart beating.

"Vala?" she heard him call her name from far off. "Vala!!!"

Daniel jumped to go to her as she slid out of her chair.

Landry, Mitchell and Sam had already reached her and Teal'c was about to move in that direction.

"DanielJackson?" Teal'c grabbed hold of Daniel's arm, "DanielJackson, are you unwell?"

---

The SGC isolation room lights filtered through Vala's eyelids. She thought she remembered having seen Daniel in the infirmary bed next to hers the last time she woke. Could she reach out and touch him? Was this a dream? She moaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Am I dreaming?" she asked, not able to focus on the figure standing over her, before falling back into oblivion.

"I've lost her again!" Carolyn Lam's voice seethed with frustration.

"Her BP's dropping, doctor," one of the nurses told her.

"Dr. Jackson's blood pressure is dropping again!" another assistant shouted from the next bed.

---

Carolyn requested the briefing on her patients be held in the isolation observation room. She didn't want to be too far incase something happened. It was a tight squeeze, but she, Landry, Mitchell, Carter, Dr. Lee and Teal'c managed to crowd into the room.

"They both appear to wake up within a minute of each other and when they do, I've been barley able to stabilize one before the other one goes belly up".

Landry looked at her askew, "Belly Up?"

Carolyn didn't bother to respond to that. "I've been over all their records, and I am baffled, while some of their symptoms may appear to be similar to the bracelets or communication stones, there is really no clear indication from any tests that they are connected. I can't wake them for more than a few minutes. They are not in a coma… they are not really asleep. I just don't see how it could be connected to those stones, there's just no way. At times their eyes are in rapid motion as if in REM sleep and dreaming. However, their vital signs, blood pressure, heart rate, their brain patterns are slowly falling, but we have stabilized them for now."

"For now?" Carter asked.

Carolyn turned to the Colonel. "I'm at a loss Sam; I have no idea where to go from here. If they are connected to someone, I can't imagine how, but this really isn't the same. The stones aren't even on base, and how could they have activated them? They've been separated by miles for the past two weeks, so it couldn't be the bracelets."

"Arlis" Dr. Lee stated.

Both Dr. Lam and Sam Carter responded in unison. "Arlis?"

"Yeah, we need to find him. He'd understand all this." Bill Lee pointed to the patients lying prone in the room below.

Carolyn puffed out a sigh of frustration and waited for Landry to respond.

---

When the cleaning crew entered the isolation room hours later, a weary Carolyn Lam retreated to the observation booth unwilling to completely abandon her patients. Dark circles accentuated her worried eyes as she studied her notes, intermittently taking a quick look at the two below.

When Landry quietly entered, he stopped behind her without a word. Placing a hand on her neck he gently massaged.

"You can't help them if you're too exhausted to continue." He finally stated softly.

Carolyn closed her eyes. "I know."

Below one of the crew in hazmat suit moped at the already sterile floor. Gently he pushed Daniels bed aside until it came to rest against Vala's.

Monitors beeped and came to life. Carolyn's eyes opened in astonishment.

From where he stood Landry could see the blinking indicators moving upward.

Carolyn dashed out with Landry close behind her.

The amazed cleaning man stood, hand still on Daniel's bed, afraid to move.

Nudging the man aside, Carolyn checked her patients as the room filled with medical personnel .

"Blood pressure, heart rate, brain patterns all moving toward normal." The charge nurse called out.

Vala's eyes fluttered and Carolyn separated the beds to wedge herself closer to Vala. Monitor alarms blared. It didn't take her long to move from between the two and slide the beds together again.

"Well." Was all she could manage to utter as she looked around at her stunned staff.

---

"My patients are resting comfortably. They haven't woken up but they're definitely greatly improved and out of danger at the present." Dr. Lam walked around the conference table as she spoke. "As soon as we moved them apart, their vitals fell off. So right now we have them side by side."

Hank Landry nodded as Carolyn took her seat. "Dr. Lee did locate Arlis and spent some time questioning him. Carter and Felger have been researching the base tapes to see if they could find anything." The general looked around the table.

Teal'c and Cam Mitchell exchanged worried looks.

Carter moved to the large monitor at the front of the room, remote in hand. With a click the screen came to life. "We think we have a clue as to what may have triggered this."

On the screen Daniel sat at his desk studying a simple looking stone tablet. Vala stood behind him looking over his shoulder.

Vala reached across Daniel to point at something on the tablet and he shooed her hand away as he turned around looking up at her with an expression somewhere between irritation and humor. Vala had one hand on Daniel's shoulder and she grabbed the tablet with the other. They both appeared to be laughing now, but he didn't let go. She pulled again as he yanked to free it from her grasp. Her hand still attached, the tablet accidentally hit into the small alien power source Daniel had been studying earlier.

A tiny spark arced between tablet, power source and the two people. Both Vala and Daniel dropped the tablet.

Carter clicked the pause and the video stopped. "We believe that surge caused something to set in motion their current condition."

Dr. Lee continued as Carter took her seat at the conference table. "Arlis thinks that some residue left over from either the bracelets or stones… or both was activated by the shock."

"Arlis, Colonel Carter, as well as myself and Drs. Lee and Felger all agree that the affect will wear off eventually. When they wake up they should be fine." Dr. Lam looked at everyone at the table except the General.

"Are you telling me that Dr. Jackson and Vala Mal Doran still have a connection that could be set off at any time in the future?"

"No." Jay Felger said with such confidence that no one questioned him for a few seconds.

"No?" Landry glared at Felger.

Jay turned to Sam with a silent plea.

"Sir," Cater addressed the base commander, "the chances of the absolute same series of events causing this are astronomical. And, as time goes on there's really no way any of the residue from either device could possibly linger. In either of them."

"Dr. Lam to the isolation room!" Came the frantic announcement over the intercom.

By the time Landry completed "dismissed," everyone was already on their way, including him.

---

Vala was the first to wake. Slowly, blinking, she became aware of where she was. The charge nurse rushed to her as someone got to the phone to call Dr. Lam.

Vala, fully awake, looked to the man beside her with a small smile. "Daniel?" her voice, weak, cracked.

A long sigh escaped his dry lips. "Vala?"

"Dr. Jackson?" Dr. Lam called out coming into the room from a dead run.

His blurred vision was set on Dr. Lam, "It's over?"

---

Soaking wet, muddy and exhausted, SG1 returned through the Stargate from their latest mission. It had been a month since Vala and Daniel had their 'little episode' as Mitchell liked to call it. And this mission had been their first on active duty since then.

All had gone well. Well, sort of.

Teal'c left the room in what could only be described as a thinly disguised sulk. Carter literally threw her gun to the waiting SF in a huff and Mitchell rolled his eyes at her retreating back and dashed out.

Vala took her helmet off and shook out her hair.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Daniel yelled at her back.

She looked up to the control room where Mitchell and Landry appeared to be in a heated discussion. "Daniel. Shut up!" She left him standing, dripping and muddy.

Dumbfounded, he stared after her a moment before throwing his helmet across the gateroom and following her out.

---

The clandestine meeting was held in Carter's lab. Teal'c, Carter and Mitchell stood in a tight group, voices subdued.

"You're the CO, it's your responsibility," Sam snapped at Mitchell.

"Well, that's convenient," Mitchell snapped back.

"ColonelCarter is correct, you must speak to DanielJackson."

Mitchell eyed Teal'c menacingly, before turning to Carter, "maybe I could order him to see Dr. Lam?"

Carter and Teal'c only shook their heads in rejection.

"Landry?" Mitchell offered hopefully.

"Cam!" Carter scolded in response.

"ColonelMitchell, if you cannot, then we must contact O'Neill." The threat was evident in the Jaffe's stance.

"Now that's just hitting below the belt, Teal'c"

Teal'c raised a brow.

"Ok, fine. I'll talk to him tomorrow." Mitchell turned, shoulders dropped in defeat, and left.

Teal'c nodded briefly to Sam, clasped his hands behind his back and exited behind Mitchell.

Sam sighed heavily, sat down and held her head in her hands, _Poor Daniel_, she thought, _such an emotional wreck_.

As usual, Daniel's office was dimly lit as he sat studying some artifact.

"Daniel," Vala stood in the doorway, "we have to talk. We're disrupting the team. We haven't spoken a civil word since we woke up."

He looked up. _How had she become the sensible one?_

Moving into the room, Vala stopped half way to his desk. "I'll ask for re-assignment if that's what you want."

"No!" He stood up abruptly and went towards her. He wanted to reach out to her but stopped himself.

"I don't understand, it's obvious that you hate me."

"God, no, I don't. I don't.

She backed up a step uncomfortable being so close to his warmth. "I can't do this anymore. I'll talk to Landry tomorrow, I'm sure there are other teams….." she couldn't finish. Taking another step back, she stood only a moment before turning and leaving the room.

Just outside the door, Vala heard his muttered confession.

"I don't hate you, God knows, I love you." It was not intended for her ears.

Shocked, she drew a ragged breath before anger set in. Coming back to the door, her demeanor clearly agitated she lashed out at him, "Well, maybe so Daniel, but I don't know it, because it is obviously a big secret between you and your god!" Her eyes seemed to flash fire as she spun around and stalked off.

For a moment he stared transfixed at the space she had just vacated. Then, with a glare he took out after her.

Sam was just turning out the lights to her lab when she saw Vala storm past, Daniel hot on her trail. "Uh oh," she uttered as she dashed out to follow them.

Down the hall, Teal'c waited at the elevator. As Vala approached, he opened his mouth to speak but from her expression decided against it. Flattening himself against the wall he watched her traipse past, followed by DanielJackson and then ColonelCarter. Curious, he fell in behind Sam, locked his hands behind his back and joined the parade.

Vala lead them through the halls and up the stairs to the control room, passing Mitchell on his way down. Mitchell stood aside long enough for them to pass and with a questioning frown decided to follow the band.

"Where are you going?" Daniel demanded.

"I'm leaving, there's nothing here for me."

"Ha!" Daniel reached for her arm.

"Walter, dial the gate!" She snatched her arm from his grip.

"Walter, don't even consider it!" Daniel crossed his arms.

"You can't keep me here against my will!" She tossed her head in righteous anger.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" His hands went to his hips and his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Home."

Daniel paused, a subtle smile on his lips. Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell seemed to hold their breath and Walter tried hard to ignore them all.

Daniel's gentle voice reminded her, "Vala, you are home."

Unexpectedly she burst into tears.

Daniel, shocked by her tears, cautiously approached her and just blurted out, "I'm sorry, I love you, I'm a jerk, you can't leave, I'd die."

Wiping unsuccessfully at her tears, Vala seemed unsure of what to do, "we're cured, Daniel, forever."

Quietly he told her, "Vala, you can't cure how I feel."

Sam, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, knew she should leave and take the other onlookers with her. However, she could not force her contrary feet to move.

Tears dried on her face, Vala inched ever so slightly toward him, "Could you repeat that?"

"You can't cure…"

"No, the other thing. Right before 'I'm a jerk', and I know what that means."

His grin lit his eyes, enlarged her heart and stole her breath.

He cleared his throat and looked around. Sam's eyes met him head on, no wavering; just a small loving smile touched her lips. Nope, not going anywhere. She was waiting to hear it too.

Mitchell looked uneasy but his eyes were kind and supportive and he stood his ground.

Teal'c looked on the verge of something, as though he wanted to repeat the words for Daniel.

Walter pretended to work the console, his shoulders tense in anticipation.

A long, loud sigh escaped Daniel. Waiting, Vala cocked her head to the left with a warning glare, then to the center with a downhearted frown, and finally, to the right with a warm smile, eyes wide in eagerness.

He could see the pulse racing in the veins of her neck.

Felling the presence of the others, he thought it didn't really matter anymore. Not what she felt or what the others felt. It was truth they sought and truth he needed to express.

What if he couldn't make himself speak it? So much at stake.

Vala waited, her smile now loving, kind and growing. Knowing.

But she never said she loved him. She was a vamp. Was she using him. His heart raced. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again.

Teal'c moved forward, "DanielJackson," he prompted.

"Spit it out Jackson!" Mitchell said, advancing ever so slightly.

His eyes locked on Vala, Daniel felt, without seeing, Sam move close beside him. Her hand took his and squeezed gently. He felt moisture in his eyes but blinked it away.

"I…"

Vala, Teal'c and Mitchell seemed to lean forward. Sam squeezed his hand harder.

"I…"

"What?" Vala whispered.

"I do really… I mean really, like you."

A chorus of disgusted sighs filled the room, as Walter turned from the console with a scowl.

"Ok. Love. Love you. A lot. Crazy a lot… like…."

She launched herself, jumping into his arms, legs wrapping around his waist and kissing him so passionately he though he would actually pass out.

Pulling back, grinning and teary eyed she stated quite emphatically, "I love you, too."

A chorus of relieved sighs followed.

Sam, who'd let go of his hand, came up and planted a kiss on his check while he still held Vala. "I love you, too." She whispered then smiled happily to Vala.

"As do I, DanielJackson," Teal'c slapped him on the back, nearly dislodging Vala from his arms.

Mitchell shuffled his feet. "No way," he said, holding up his hands in surrender when Daniel smiled at him.

Grinning foolishly, Daniel was leaning forward for another kiss when he was interrupted.

"Can we get back to work now?" Landry asked from the stairway.

Daniel let go of Vala, who stood at attention somewhat embarrassed at being 'caught' by the general. But Landry was smiling.

"Sorry, Sir," Sam mumbled a bit embarrassed herself. She followed Teal'c and Mitchell from the room.

With a grimace, Vala ducked her head and dashed out behind them, with Daniel close behind.

Landry shook his head. The first thing he was going to do was call Jack and tell him he finally understood the spacemonkey thing.

Alone in the hallway, Vala took Daniel's hand and leaned in close to whisper, "Does this mean we're engaged?" she asked with a quirky smile. She jerked her head back in surprise when he grabbed her arm and started pulling her down the hall.

"We'll discuss it when we get home."

Still pulling her behind him, he couldn't see the Cheshire cat grin that she aimed at the back of his head.

END


End file.
